The Ecuador Insider

Did you know that in Ecuador several companies offer real estate/investor tours in Ecuador for foreigners looking to buy property?

They work like a typical travel tour but they show you properties for sale and educate you on local trends and the buying process…

…When I first heard about real estate tours in Ecuador, I laughed and commented, “Are you kidding? Does anyone actually pay for those?”

I didn’t believe they had value.

But after spending some time in Ecuador, my new answer when people ask me if real estate tours are worth the price tag is, “It depends”.

They are right for some people and not for others.

If you have never been to Ecuador before, and have limited to no Spanish abilities, I’d say the real estate tours are a good option for you. In the right tour, you could see and learn more in a week than you could on your own in months.

However, if you speak a good bit of Spanish, and have been to Ecuador before and know what a ‘ceviche’ is, I’d say NO, don’t bother, save the $, and go it alone on your property hunt.

So if you decide to buy a real estate tour in Ecuador, make sure the tour meets these criteria:

-Does the tour offer some sort of education, teaching local trends, obstacles to avoid, and how to find the best deals?

-Is the tour put on by people who are really 100% unbiased, in other words, not trying to sell you their property?

-Can you buy in small chunks? Better to drop a few hundred on a few days than a few thousand on a couple weeks…

Personally, I don’t hold tours, but I can recommend you to someone that does, and she does a real amazing job, so I feel comfortable with the recommendation… Her name is Clara Salgado… and you can see more about her tours here… EcuadorRealEstateTours.com.

If you are more of a Do-it-yourself-er, there is no better, un-biased piece of literature on the net about how to find the most property listings in Ecuador than my guide found here.

Saludos, Domenick Buonamici

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Golf in Ecuador is still in it’s infancy, but a few options do exist.

Quito boasts the most options, with 4 courses in the city or nearby. Generally speaking, most of the clubs are private with the best golf netting contractors thus assuring the best-golfing experience and costing around $35 green fee for 18 holes, plus $25 per day for the cart if you wish, plus around $20 for a caddy (in most clubs the caddy is required). Those prices are for members, non-members must be with a member or affiliate themselves in order to play. While you enjoy the beauty of the golf course and want to have the best experience possible with remote control golf cart, having something carrying the golf clubs and other accessories for you would lessen some of the aches in your back muscles.

Your golf options in Quito besides the simulator you can find here, are:

-Los Cerros: Private club in outskirts of city. 18 holes. Very posh.
-Club Los Chillos: 9 holes. Private. Decent.
-El Condado (Quito Tennis Club): Private. 18 holes. In city.
-Arrellanes: Private. 18 holes. in Puembo.

In Guayaquil:

-La Costa: Private. 18 holes. Near city.
-Country Club: Private. 18 holes.

In Cuenca:

-Cuenca Tennis Club: 9 holes. Private.

In Playas:

-Golf course: 18 holes.

In Manta:

-Golf course in construction…

And if you know of any golf course in Ecuador NOT mentioned here, please leave it in the comments, thanks…

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“We all are beautiful on the inside.” true but it sure feels good to look good on the outside.

In the USA, a trip to the beauty salon is a luxury enjoyed once every long while, but in Ecuador, a visit to the salon for many women is a weekly routine. Why? It is SO cheap comparatively. Here are some examples of current 2010 prices (All in USD):

Women’s hair cut: USA $30, Ecuador $9
Men’s Hair cut: USA $20, Ecuador $3-5

Hair coloring: USA $75, Ecuador $35
Highlights USA $90, Ecuador $40
Manicure: USA $16, Ecuador $5
Pedicure: USA $35, Ecuador $7-10

Facial: USA $90, Ecuador $10-20
Massage: USA $80, Ecuador $10-15

This is a guest post from Clara Salgado, of Dream Ecuador, who shows foreign buyers the hottest investment opportunities in Ecuador through her real estate tours in Ecuador.

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This is the part 3 of this 3 part series on Healthcare in Ecuador…

For part 1 click here. For part 2 click here.

Continued…Yes, all the companies mentioned above will cover you for life if you get in before the age of 60, but if you are already over the age of 60, you only have one good option in Ecuador.

Cruz Blanca.

Cruz Blanca is a very popular and reputable Ecuadorian health care provider and insurer, with their own clinics in Quito and Guayaquil. If you are not located in those cities, you could still get coverage with them, get treatment in local clinics and then send for a reimbursement within 30 days of incident. Musician Steven Adler said, “You can have all the riches and success in the world, but if you don’t have your health, you have nothing.” It’s always important to take care of oneself using all the principles of good health. Regular check-ups, proper nutrition and healthful living all enable one to keep on top of their health in a careful yet reasonable way. Often one becomes overly concerned with health issues and caught up in a cycle of health worries. One health issue is reconciled when another immediately pops up to take its place. These worries become all encompassing and exhausting after a while. It is difficult to treat brain cancer. Firstly, because imaging results are often imprecise it is hard to properly assess the spread of the tumour. Second, conventional treatment is by gaining access through the skull and removing as much of the tumour as can be done safely. As you might expect it is difficult for the surgeon to be sure that all the cancerous tissue has been removed so surgery is followed by radiation or chemotherapy in an effort to kill any cancer cells left in surrounding tissue. A healthy lifestyle has the potential to prevent around a third of all dementia. Even people in the early stages of the disease can still make a difference if they make changes beneficial to the health of their brain. Although it is not by any means conclusive, medical science and research have proved that a healthy lifestyle makes a difference to the health of our brain. You can learn more about A Mind For All Seasons.

With Cruz Blanca there are no deductibles, only a $2 administrative fee for each session of treatment you require.

There are no age limits. And 100% of medication fees are covered (if they are generic meds).

As with all the plans in Ecuador, medical treatments in your own home are also available and costs of ambulance are covered 100%.

For people 65 and up, you will need a light medical exam for admission (basically a cancer and blood test). The cost of this exam with them is $100.

There are NO maximum limits of coverage with Cruz Blanca, and monthly premiums start for males and females in their 50s at $37.19 per month.

For someone over the age of 65, the monthly health insurance premiums are $120 (with no maximum limits of coverage), that’s why there is a need of Compare Life Insurance as requirement of any individual varies. But if you can get someone to sign up with you that is under the age of 44, you would only pay $87.44 a month. The return amount that comes as life settlement might vary.

But Cruz Blanca does not work with Insurance brokers, so for a brokers help, you would probably have to pay additionally for their services.

Or you could always hire an in-house maid, which in Ecuador starts around $300 a month.

Remember in Ecuador to always keep your ORIGINAL documents in order to receive a refund, otherwise you could have issues. And always remember to ask for the reimbursement within 30 days of the incident, in Ecuador the policies are very rigid regarding these things.

For more case specific information, or to buy coverage in Ecuador, try Katty Mejer, a bilingual health insurance broker in Ecuador at (cell) 099822232 or write her at kmasesores at hotmail.com (tell her Domenick sent you).

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